Katrathu Thamizh: Tamil’s first film noir

Katrathu Thamizh: Tamil’s first film noir

As Suhasini Maniratnam put it in one of her TV shows, this is not a movie to watch while munching popcorn and chatting loudly over mobile phone. Katrathu Thamizh requires keen watching and absolute involvement. The movie is sure to mesmerise you from its terrific start to its soulful ending, unless. A man trying hard to guard his sanity…to be with his girl and lead a simple life, but that turns out impossible in his case. He loses his girl and turns mad. Furious towards a society that has battered his life, he begins a journey of gore and murder and leaves a trail of blood. All his murders not only send a shiver down our spine but set our minds thinking about those eternal questions of the meaning of human existence and man’s role in a society. Society dispenses with one who does not live up to its expectations. For example, if you are a colored man who defies the racist imposition of a white society, you become branded as a social outlaw. The same happens with Prabakar, the hero of the movie. He a Tamil language graduate and a conventional thinker regarding women’s issues gets thrown out of society like trash because his skill set is redundant in India’s BPO culture demanding suave workforce articulate in English. A thrown out Prabakar’s redefines his role in society as a ruthless killer who realises that ‘life got no logic’ and his acts needn’t be justified. He also finds back his call girl-turned sweetheart in the end and defines his ‘existence’ by reclaiming his childhood innocence and purity. Katrathu Thamizh tells this story that is a mix of poetry, philosophy and the magic of love so poignantly and passionately. Cinematography and BM are excellent. Jeeva has done a terrific job. Kudo’s to director Ram!